Some University of North Dakota departments are taking connections to rural communities to heart for the upcoming Community Connect Forum to be hosted by Warren, Minn., Saturday, April 27.

The annual community-university forum, coordinated by the UND Center for Community Engagement, is intended to bring community members from across the region together with UND faculty and students to discuss issues of interest to communities.

Wes Smith of the Department of Art and Design is bringing an art exhibit from the UND President's Collection and will use his talents to create a project with the students in the Warren-Alvarado-Oslo School. He will also bring a ceramic wheel to the event for an exhibit.

Alejandro Drago of the Department of Music will have a group performing during the reception at the Marshall County Historical Society Museum.

The Community Connect Forum provides an opportunity to make connections between academic departments and the host community.

The theme for the annual 2013 Community Connect Forum, "Sustainable Communities," will give participants a chance to pool their ideas and best practices to balance civic, economic and environmental sustainability.

Soizik Laguette, chair of the UND Department of Earth System Science and Policy, explains that sustainability seeks to balance social, environmental and economic objectives to secure the well-being of present and future generations.

The forum will address topics such as smart government, new business ownership models and changes in agriculture and energy. As host of the forum, Warren will have the opportunity to showcase its own town story and its efforts toward creating more sustainable practices in its community, such as becoming a "GreenStep City." Warren will also highlight its unique assets with its downtown businesses and nearby Audubon wildlife preserve. Participants will have the opportunity to network and view exhibits of different regional projects, agencies and resources.

Registration Information:

Registration for the forum is free. The website also includes a schedule for the day of the forum.

The forum will be held in the Warren-Alvarado-Oslo School. There will be free transportation available for UND participants on the day of the forum to travel to Warren; the bus will leave Memorial Union at 8 a.m. Warren is about 30 miles northeast of Grand Forks.

GreenStep Cities is a program of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and other partners, started in 2010 to assist cities with their efforts in sustainability. GreenStep lists 28 "best practices" in categories of buildings and lighting, land use, transportation, environmental management as well as economic and community development. Cities can receive a grade for each of the practices.

About Community Connect:

The Community Connect project provides opportunities for rural communities to work together with UND faculty and students on the challenges and opportunities in our region. There are three components to the Community Connect project - a community-university forum, a print journal and a website with an online academic journal.

About the Center:

The UND Center for Community Engagement links academic resources with community needs by connecting students and faculty to teaching and research projects off campus. It was created by an act of the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education in 2004. The Center serves as a catalyst for faculty and students to learn from and with nonprofit organizations, rural communities, tribal communities and other public partners through local and regional initiatives.

About the sponsors:

The Community Connect project is supported in part by a grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation and sponsorships from United Valley Bank, the Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, Farmers Union Insurance and private donations.